I would like to being up the topic of soil testing and the importance of the test. The first thing is make sure your getting the complete soil test, it's only about 20 bucks more and it very important. Second i would stress the 0-6, and 6-24 test is also a must since most crops root to a depth of 30-36" so any nutrients in the deeper depth are availble and should be credited to you. When you start looking at the nutrient levels do not look at the NPKS first.These are the nutrients that can be added and are the easy ones.
Look at everything else and make sure YOU understand them and not just take the word of your retail, remember there big ticket is NPKS.
Is everything in balance, is your soil to low or to high in a nutrient. What about your base saturation % are they in the ranges. If your seeing a few micros to high a flag should go up to why, what the reason ? Go back a few years and see if level are rising if they are you need to find out why. We all jump if levels are low and we can add micros to help out but if they are to high what do we do.
If your paying for the soil test and analysis then make sure they tell you whats going on with everything. Most can't and that the problem. I've delt with most labs out there and they are all the same and ALL do a good job. I know it may be alot of information but get to know your nutrients and what they do if they are to high as well as to low.
To get information request it from your dealer they should have or will be able to get testing handbooks from the labs they deal with. And doing your own on specific fields is simple to. If your thinking of doing some yourself the lab i like is A&L. They will send you everything you need and they pay the shipping all you need to do is drop it off at a Purolator depot and check airmail.
A tip for soil sampling is that you can spray WD-40 on the sampler so it's easier going into and comming out of the ground and it won't effect the test.
So take the time to read on each nutrient on what it does, the crop that needs it and what the nutrients do if they are to high or to low.
Look at everything else and make sure YOU understand them and not just take the word of your retail, remember there big ticket is NPKS.
Is everything in balance, is your soil to low or to high in a nutrient. What about your base saturation % are they in the ranges. If your seeing a few micros to high a flag should go up to why, what the reason ? Go back a few years and see if level are rising if they are you need to find out why. We all jump if levels are low and we can add micros to help out but if they are to high what do we do.
If your paying for the soil test and analysis then make sure they tell you whats going on with everything. Most can't and that the problem. I've delt with most labs out there and they are all the same and ALL do a good job. I know it may be alot of information but get to know your nutrients and what they do if they are to high as well as to low.
To get information request it from your dealer they should have or will be able to get testing handbooks from the labs they deal with. And doing your own on specific fields is simple to. If your thinking of doing some yourself the lab i like is A&L. They will send you everything you need and they pay the shipping all you need to do is drop it off at a Purolator depot and check airmail.
A tip for soil sampling is that you can spray WD-40 on the sampler so it's easier going into and comming out of the ground and it won't effect the test.
So take the time to read on each nutrient on what it does, the crop that needs it and what the nutrients do if they are to high or to low.